


Hello Old Friend

by hollyhock13



Series: Whumptober 2019 [26]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Detective Comics (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: Bruce Wayne Tries, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Prompt: Numb, Tim Drake Gets a Hug, Tim Drake Has Mental Health Issues, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Tim Drake is Not Okay, Tim Drake-centric, Whumptober 2019, and we love him for it, everyone needs an Alfred, there’s a little bit of comfort for once
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-29 19:04:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21415150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollyhock13/pseuds/hollyhock13
Summary: Tim Drake is fine...mostly
Relationships: Tim Drake & Alfred Pennyworth, Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne
Series: Whumptober 2019 [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1503512
Comments: 10
Kudos: 271





	Hello Old Friend

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably going to be the best one of this last bunch, it’s the only one I have had anything done on for a while! I hope you enjoy!

Tim wakes, but it really isn’t much different from being asleep.

He lies in bed, contemplating getting up and brushing his teeth.

He doesn’t.

He could be lying here for minutes or hours, it doesn’t really matter. Someone knocks on his door.

“Master Timothy?”

Alfred. Tim doesn’t respond. Alfred comes in anyway.

He sets down a tray of food next to the old one on his desk. He can feel the disapproval and hurt radiating off of Alfred in waves. He can’t bring himself to care. 

“You have a meeting today,” Alfred says as he cleans a little, making himself look busy.

Does he? “With who?” Tim’s voice is rough with disuse.

“I believe it is someone very important,” Alfred says, which means he’s trying to be cryptic. Usually he would just say who it‘s with.

“Oh?” Breathes Tim.

“Yes. He has cleared his schedule entirely to meet with you, and it would be a grave offense to miss your meeting.”

Tim sighs. That is not something he can do in this state. He has no energy to play the Wayne boy. “Can it be postponed? I’m not feeling very well.” Not a lie; he’s just not feeling much of anything right now.

“Unfortunately not. This is a very busy man.”

Tim fights back tears. “How dressed up do I need to be, then?” He hopes his voice doesn’t betray his true feelings.

“Wear something comfortable,” Alfred says, “and I additionally recommend a shower. We don’t need him worrying unnecessarily for your health.” Alfred’s eyes look sad for a moment, but it’s gone so fast that Tim can’t be sure that it isn’t his own suppressed feelings trying to make themselves known.

He nods in response, and tries to prevent the tears building in his eyes from falling. They shouldn’t even be there! He’s not sad, just...exhausted.

“Take your time, Master Timothy.” The door clicks shut softly behind Alfred. 

Tim moves like molasses as he showers and dresses for a day with this mysterious busy man. He hates being in the dark, but he’s not sure he can even muster up the emotion to be angry with Alfred. If he’d revealed who the guest was, Tim might have been able to wriggle his way out of this. Whatever “this” is.

He takes a look at himself in the mirror. It’s sickening, what he can become so quickly. He’s quite sure that if his mysterious guest knew what Tim was that he’d cancel their meeting himself.

He drags himself out of the bathroom and then out of his bedroom. There’s something cooking downstairs, but Tim couldn’t tell you what or whether it smells good or bad. That shocks him, just a little. He didn’t know it was this bad.

He heads straight for the door. He stops, hand on the handle, realizing that he doesn’t know where this meeting is to take place. He’ll have to face Alfred again. The thought makes his stomach churn. A series of deep breaths and he turns toward the kitchen.

“Ah, Master Timothy!” Alfred greets him in the kitchen. “May I introduce you to your meeting?”

He gestures toward the table as Tim panics. He hasn’t had time to school his features, to put on the mask he wears as Timothy Drake-Wayne!

Bruce blinks back at him, also seeming worse for wear. “You’re my important meeting, then, Tim?” Bruce asks slowly. 

“Is this some kind of sick joke?” Tim asks Alfred. “I’m going back to bed.”

Bruce catches his wrist as he turns, frowning. “Tim? You don’t look so great.”

Tim scoffs, but the tears that have been threatening since he woke betray him as they finally fall.

Bruce reels him in until Tim is sitting on his lap and he can wipe the tears away. “I think we need to have a talk,” he whispers to Tim.


End file.
